Discuss the latest comic book news and front page articles, read or post your own reviews of comics, and talk about anything comic book related. Threads from the two subforums below will also show up here. News Stand topics can also be read and posted in from The Asylum.

So I've read a lot of good things about this series and am kind of interested in picking it up. A few questions though.

1) I've never really been a Transformers fan. Not in the sense of, "I hate Transformers," or anything; mostly just that there have always been other things that I have been more interested in and thus never really developed any serious knowledge of the series. I'm familiar with the basics and I can recognize Megatron or Optimus Prime or Starscream, but beyond that I never really got into the franchise. Is this going to be a deterrent to being able to enjoy this series or can I read it without being versed in Transformers lore?

2) Kind of going along with the first question, is there anything else I need to be read before or alongside More Than Meets The Eye to make it make sense?

Flynn the Pirate wrote:So I've read a lot of good things about this series and am kind of interested in picking it up. A few questions though.

1) I've never really been a Transformers fan. Not in the sense of, "I hate Transformers," or anything; mostly just that there have always been other things that I have been more interested in and thus never really developed any serious knowledge of the series. I'm familiar with the basics and I can recognize Megatron or Optimus Prime or Starscream, but beyond that I never really got into the franchise. Is this going to be a deterrent to being able to enjoy this series or can I read it without being versed in Transformers lore?

2) Kind of going along with the first question, is there anything else I need to be read before or alongside More Than Meets The Eye to make it make sense?

Thanks!

1) yes.

2) Alongside - Robots In Disguise. Before and alongsider - Any of the Spotlights.

Both series split from the prior running series of mini-series. IF you've read prior stuff going back to even the Marvel stuff, you'll find easter eggs. But it is otherwise it's very own continuity.

"Why are you pointing your screwdrivers like that? They're scientific instruments, not water pistols.""Oh, the pointing again! They're screwdrivers! What are you going to do? Assemble a cabinet at them?""Are you capable of speaking without flapping your hands about?"""Timey" what? "Timey wimey"?"

IvCNuB4 wrote:The Old Doctor is Cat-Scratch ?Well that explains a lot :lol:

1) My wife just read the first three volumes of MTMTE a month ago. She enjoyed it more than I expected but, since she's not been a longtime fan, she had trouble telling who was who. It's a big cast and even though this is the first time many of them have made a dent in the IDWverse, you might have some trouble telling who is who... especially since Optimus Prime, Starscream, and Megatron aren't cast members.

But they DO have a cast page to give you a who's who of the major cast members and you also have the luxury of internet access. So this shouldn't be a huge obstacle.

2) I think the series does a really good job of explaining what you need to know when you need to know it. Roberts is doing a lot of world building so a lot of concepts he's bringing up are being brought up for the first time. The only thing I might recommend you read before this would be Last Stand of the Wreckers. It's not essential to understanding... ANYTHING in MTMTE but it IS the first time Roberts dipped his toe into the IDWverse and it's where he starts all of his world building goodness. Otherwise, start up at volume one and enjoy the crap out of this comic.

I am familiar with Transformers and even I have a hard time telling who is who sometimes even with the cast page. However, the two series have been better than I thought they'd be. I have to admit, I thought the beginning dragged a bit and one of the characters I felt was mischaracterized. Aside from that, there have been a flat issue here and there, it's been good.

The problem with the cast, is not so much a problem as just a need to realize that within this series, the bots get new forms, just as with the toys.

After all, they are called The Transformers.

Mind you, it would help if the artists could be a bit more consistent.

"Why are you pointing your screwdrivers like that? They're scientific instruments, not water pistols.""Oh, the pointing again! They're screwdrivers! What are you going to do? Assemble a cabinet at them?""Are you capable of speaking without flapping your hands about?"""Timey" what? "Timey wimey"?"

IvCNuB4 wrote:The Old Doctor is Cat-Scratch ?Well that explains a lot :lol:

As to your first question, James Roberts is building a lot of new lore, and he takes the time to explain it in the course of the story. You don't need to know about the Knights of Cybertron, Rossum's Trinity, the Seething Moon, forged bots vs. constructed cold bots, or anything else, because these are largely new concepts even to old fans.

It might help to have some minor bit of knowledge about prior events in the IDW-verse before starting the story, but no more than you would be able to find on Wikipedia or tfwiki.net. I will SGX's recommendation to read Last Stand of the Wreckers, if just because it will give you a bit more insight into a couple of the major characters in the series.

MrBlack wrote:As to your first question, James Roberts is building a lot of new lore, and he takes the time to explain it in the course of the story. You don't need to know about the Knights of Cybertron, Rossum's Trinity, the Seething Moon, forged bots vs. constructed cold bots, or anything else, because these are largely new concepts even to old fans.

It might help to have some minor bit of knowledge about prior events in the IDW-verse before starting the story, but no more than you would be able to find on Wikipedia or tfwiki.net. I will SGX's recommendation to read Last Stand of the Wreckers, if just because it will give you a bit more insight into a couple of the major characters in the series.

My memory is hazy but was Last Stand of the Wreckers the one where they revealed that a Wrecker had executed Decepticon POW's?